Introduction
The A.G. was 70 years old female patient who has a past medical history of the allergic state, Asthma, Kidney cancer, CHF, DM, HTN, and hyperlipemia. The patient presented to the ER sent from her PCP office for evaluation of CHF. The patient reports she has had SOB for 2 days, nonproductive cough, orthopnea, and edema. The patient was evaluated in the ED and determined to be admitted for further evaluation.
Interdisciplinary teamwork made from different types of staff members that work together for a patient. They share knowledge, skills, and experiences to improve patient’s health condition. And not only helps to improve patient’s outcome it also reduces workloads of staff members which also impacts patient care (Jacob, Roe, Merrigan, & Brown, 2013). In this assignment, I will recognize the interdisciplinary care team for patient A.G., therapeutic modalities for the patient, and reflect on my experience of the role of a nurse.
Interdisciplinary (ID) Care: Collaborative Management
There are many members of the interdisciplinary care team for patient G.A, but four major healthcare members play a major role to care for the patient: the nurse, primary care physician, nephrologist and the cardiology. The nurse is an integral healthcare member for caring the patient. Her roles are monitoring and stabilizing patient’s condition, advocating for the patient while hospitalization. Also, the nurse has the authority to make recommendations to patient’s primary care provider for patient’s optimal health condition. The role of the patient’s primary care physicians is to identify the health problem, diagnosis and provides ongoing management for the patient’s condition by prescribing treatment. Depends on patient’s condition, PCP communicates with other healthcare specialties for patient’s optimal outcome. Since the patient has a history of kidney cancer and experiencing metabolic acidosis, the nephrologist works with PCP to treat the kidney or kidney related problem that patient experiencing. Cardiologist helps with PCP to find, treat, and prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels. He is responsible for assisting PCP for the patient to have optimal health outcome.
Interdisciplinary (ID) Care: Therapeutic Modalities
Various therapeutic modalities used for the patient to manage symptoms of congestive heart failure. The patient was experiencing shortness of breath, cough, congestion and lower leg edema which are symptoms of CHF exacerbation. These symptoms are mostly due to heart’s function as a pump is not meeting the body’s needs. To treat congestion and swelling which caused by fluid retention, furosemide, strict intake and output, daily weights, and fluid restricted diet was ordered. Furosemide is a loop diuretic medication that prevents the kidney from absorbing too much salt which allows it to be passed in the urine. Strict intake and output and daily weights help to measure the effectiveness of the furosemide, and it also tells whether the body is retaining fluid. The fluid restricted diet contains 2-gram sodium and 1500 mL fluid per day which limits the amount of fluid the patient consumes. A respiratory symptom such as shortness of breath managed with oxygen therapy, but this therapy also helped with metabolic acidosis that caused by chronic kidney disease. In addition, there were specific tests for the patient, STAT echocardiogram for CHF exacerbation and ABG for metabolic acidosis, to monitor the patient’s medical condition.
The nurse must use critical thinking skills to manage these therapeutic modalities which are the extent of the nurse’s responsibilities. Having up to date information such as adverse effects of furosemide such as ringing in ears and hearing loss, be aware of the foods for the patient’s consumption and give advice to avoid convenience foods, knowing normal lab values for the tests, elevate HOB to decrease respiratory will help patient to manage her health by herself and to have optimal outcome.
Interdisciplinary (ID) Care: Nursing Role Reflection
The preferred communication styles among interdisciplinary team members were face to face communication, phone call, and computer charting, but for the patient and the family members, face to face and phone methods were used. These types of communication methods worked well most of the time. I noticed that nurses expressed the patient’s condition by using SBAR technique to another team member. This technique helped the patient to receive proper treatment in a time-efficient manner. The basic and the most important technique used to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired disease such as proper hand wash between patients and wearing gloves inside of the patient room and remove them before leaving the room. It performed very strictly among healthcare members, family members, and the students. Including this basic technique, educate me with up to date information and technique will enhance my potential for becoming an effective interdisciplinary team member. According to Nancarrow, Booth, Ariss, Smith, Enderby, & Roots (2013), the complexity of skills and knowledge are needed to provide comprehensive care to patients, and it increases patient to have a better outcome.
References
Jacob, A., Roe, D., Merrigan, R., & Brown, T. (2013). The Casey Allied Health Model of Interdisciplinary Care (CAHMIC): Development and implementation. International Journal Of Therapy & Rehabilitation, 20(8), 387-395.
Nancarrow, S. A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P., & Roots, A. (2013). Ten principles of good interdisciplinary teamwork. Human Resources for Health, 11, 19. http://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-19